2004 Chevrolet Malibu Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 151 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, 13% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 90,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “ignition switch” (12% of reports).
- 151electrical system complaints
- 90,000median miles at failure
- 7mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 36%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Ignition switch: mentioned in 18 of 151 complaints (12%)
- Steering column: mentioned in 13 of 151 complaints (9%)
- Anti theft: mentioned in 10 of 151 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 104 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 151 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 3 an injury.
Chevrolet Malibu electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Malibu | 4 | 36% | — |
| 2024 Malibu | 18 | 42% | — |
| 2023 Malibu | 12 | 17% | 31,000 |
| 2022 Malibu | 33 | 34% | 15,901 |
| 2021 Malibu | 30 | 33% | 53,100 |
| 2020 Malibu | 57 | 29% | 22,324 |
| 2019 Malibu | 62 | 32% | 43,500 |
| 2018 Malibu | 192 | 27% | 46,560 |
| 2017 Malibu | 161 | 23% | 50,000 |
| 2016 Malibu | 222 | 26% | 51,650 |
| 2015 Malibu | 68 | 25% | 54,000 |
| 2014 Malibu | 86 | 25% | 64,550 |
| 2013 Malibu | 376 | 45% | 76,904 |
| 2012 Malibu | 291 | 32% | 87,830 |
| 2011 Malibu | 235 | 24% | 80,000 |
| 2010 Malibu | 295 | 22% | 85,000 |
| 2009 Malibu | 368 | 24% | 90,000 |
| 2008 Malibu | 233 | 24% | 82,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 113 | 12% | 118,850 |
| 2006 Malibu | 142 | 13% | 97,980 |
| 2005 Malibu | 180 | 18% | 102,500 |
| 2004 Malibu | 151 | 13% | 90,000 |
| 2003 Malibu | 289 | 51% | 80,000 |
| 2002 Malibu | 259 | 46% | 78,000 |
| 2001 Malibu | 285 | 40% | 88,000 |
| 2000 Malibu | 199 | 22% | 80,000 |
| 1999 Malibu | 144 | 18% | 86,000 |
| 1998 Malibu | 130 | 13% | 91,500 |
| 1997 Malibu | 87 | 20% | 88,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electronic stability control (esc); vehicle speed control:cruise control; exterior lighting:brake lights:switch; electrical system:wiring
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Risk: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving to work with my son and sister in the car when the steering wheel suddenly got very tight and started jerking when I attempted to make a left or right turn. I then stopped at a gas station and as soon as I came to a complete stop the vehicle shut off before I could turn it off…
The power steering went out while driving. The car was being backed out of the driveway. The car had lights go off when it happened. Once the car was restarted power steering worked again. This problem has only occurred once as far as known. The steering was incredibly hard to move when the issue…
The sensor and or power steering assist is malfunctioning and sending warning and shuts down the electric steering assist. Must turn vehicle off and then restart several to get steering to release. There was no notice given to [xxx] when the recall(s) were issued for 2004 chvy malibu. Stationary…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 Chevrolet Malibus have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 151 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu (13% of the 1,147 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 90,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “ignition switch”, in 18 of 151 complaints, followed by “steering column” (13).
Other 2004 Chevrolet Malibu problems
- Steering problems (798)
- Exterior Lighting problems (84)
- Seats problems (69)
- Power Train problems (64)
See all 2004 Chevrolet Malibu problems or electrical system problems across all Malibu years.